ADC among 17 injured in bridge collapse

KT NEWS SERVICE. Dated: 8/12/2012 12:05:09 AM

SRINAGAR, Aug 11: Around 17 people including an additional deputy commissioner and four policemen were injured today in a pedestrian bridge collapse following protests at Mir Behri area near Saida Kadal here.The tragedy occurred in the forenoon when dozens of residents of the area took to the main road in protest against the death due to drowning of two minor siblings on Thursday. The protesters, shouting slogans, blocked the Lal Chowk-Hazrtabal road near Rangerstop, blaming the death of the siblings on the condition of bridges and roads in the area.Later, the vice-chairman LAWDA and other officials, including the ADC Inamul-Haq Qureshi, arrived at the site. And when the protesters were taking the officials to the interior areas, the rundown, wooden bridge they were crossing collapsed out of the excessive load over it.Around 60 people including the ADC fell into the Lake water below and were rescued by the locals in an independent rescue effort.“It is an old rundown bridge used for pedestrian movement. So many people were trying to cross it at a time as a result of which it collapsed. Luckily no one received any major injury,” the protesters told Kashmir Times. Soon the police rescue team reached the site in boats, assisting the locals in the rescue work.The injured were shifted to the Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Hospital (JLNM), Rainawari, wherefrom all of them were discharged later.“Around 17 people received minor injuries in the incident. All of them were discharged from the hospital…ADC also fell into the water and received minor injuries,” an official at police station Rainawari said.Enraged, the locals staged protest against the administration amidst heavy deployment of police and CRPF personnel. The shops and business establishments closed down and youths engaged the forces in pitched battles. The clashes continue for a brief while. The traffic movement through the area, however, remained affected till late in the evening.